Renfro testifies in the Grunwald murder trial

Bradley Renfro is the first suspect to testify in the Grunwald murder trial.

Renfro’s testimony began on Wednesday and continued through Friday at the Fairbanks Courthouse. After three days of testimony, Renfro stood by his innocence from participating in the beating and subsequent shooting of 16-year-old David Grunwald in 2016, according to livestream footage shared by KTVA.

The argument between the state and Renfro’s defense lies in Renfro’s role as a scared teen or willing participant.

Renfro along with Erick Almandinger, Austin Barrett and Dominic Johnson are accused of kidnapping and murdering Grunwald. Almandinger was the first to be convicted. Johnson was second to receive a guilty verdict.

Renfro and Barrett are the last two to face trial. They were originally set to be tried together but Palmer Judge Gregory Heath severed their case two days before their trial in Fairbanks.

When Renfro took to the witness stand on Wednesday, his attorney, Chris Provost, began his cross-examination by saying he was attempting to flesh out the truth from his prior statements.

“…Your stories were incomplete. There were lies,” Provost said.

Provost said that he wanted to talk about the initial three interviews with lead investigator Tony Wegrzyn and fellow investigating Alaska State Troopers.

“I told him I didn’t kill David,” Renfro said.

Provost said that he wanted to go over the timeline: from Grunwald being beaten and “pistol whipped” in a trailer to the drive up to the Knik River Road where Grunwald was shot in killed; then afterward, when the group of teens burned Grunwald’s Bronco.

Provost pointed out that during one of Renfro’s interviews, he denied being scared of Almandinger, Barrett and Johnson.

He also asked Renfro if his statement about not remembering “90 percent of the night” because he was “too drunk” was true and he said no. He asked Renfro why he lied. Renfro said that he was scared of what Barrett might do.

“He said that he would kill any of us that talked to the cops about this,” Renfro said.

No shooter has been identified in the case and the state can’t prove who pulled the trigger. The state is attempting to prove that Renfro and the others are guilty by association. They’ve argued that Renfro’s story implicates him as an accomplice.

Renfro’s jury trial continues in the coming week.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com